Today was one of those days I sometimes have on vacation, when I no longer know where I am, or what I’m doing. The day of the week, the time of day – everything – has become completely unknown to me. I woke up startled this morning, confused as to where I was, until reality sunk in and I recognized the fabulous apartment we had while in Noosa.
I can’t decide if the confusion is good or bad, as I know that reality is waiting for me somewhere on the other side of the earth. Either way, I choose not to dwell.
Instead, I’ve plugged in my iPod, and begun listening to my newly acquired Mumford & Sons CD that I picked up at the Big W in Noosa . In case you’re unaware, they are a band out of London (UK) who sing a kind of folky-rock. It’s brilliantly done and they are played repeatedly here (they’re number one on the Australian charts…) I’ve picked up dessert from the hotel restaurant, and tucked myself in with the laptop to tap away. I consider dessert in bed with a computer therapy: does that make me unwell?
This morning we set out for Brisbane, intent on partaking in some retail therapy. En route, we encountered a much-advertised giant Pineapple. If we continue with such luck at finding giant fruit, by the time we leave, we’ll have enough to make a giant smoothie. (As an aside, on our way to Sydney, we’ll be driving past a theme park called ‘Tropical Fruit World. In front of it, there’s a giant avocado – searching out these absurd giant things is a lovely challenge…)
Once in Brisbane, we felt somewhat redeemed in our decision to skip staying in the city itself; it’s friggin’ expensive! Even the parking was far too rich for our blood, weighing in at about A$65 for a 6 hour stay – and at best, just under A$50 for a half-day’s parking.
Instead of staying in the CBD, as we usually do, we instead went to South Bank where we found parking for less (a bargain at A$16) and lots of activities for Ben. South Bank is really a great place; there’s the world’s largest IMAX screen, as well as lots of little shops, restaurants, another fabulous lagoon/beach, a small ‘rainforest’ and miles of coastline.
Jayne and Ben stayed in the park and splashed about in the water. I, being the intrepid explorer that I am, could not quite fathom spending my day sitting in a park. I would like to say that as much as I enjoy parks, I wanted to see a little more than one-square city block.
With only a few hours, I managed to travel from South Bank to the CBD (by foot), walked about twenty blocks, and then hopped on the city ferry to do a tour up the river.
The city ferry is a part of a water-based travel option for residents here: think city bus on water. The rides are inexpensive (I had an unlimited day pass for only A$5.10) and can take several hours if you have so much time to invest. Even more interesting is that on the schedule, they list all the points of interest, and how best to see them – so you can get a little mini-tour out of it, without it costing a fortune.
On the Ferry, I met three lovely women from Sydney who were doing the circuit (about 2 hours in total on that particular line) and actually had a son-in-law who works in the hotel we’re staying in when we get to Sydney – small world! We chatted as I snapped away, and caught up on my Brisbane geography.
Once I got off at Eagle Point Road, I met a lovely man from China who traveled to Brisbane for business. We chatted for ages while waiting, and then took the Ferry back to South Bank.
What I find most interesting about travel is how much you get from the experience when you’re alone. I always end up meeting such incredible people – when I was in New York last, I met a lovely couple from Scotland, a family from Kentucky, and a couple of Aussies. Same can be said for previous travels alone – being alone means you have to interact with others. Love it.
Eventually I abandoned my new friends to catch up with Jayne and Ben, and we set out for Surfer’s Paradise.
I don’t know what expectation I had of Surfer’s, except that I can say it was not at all what I expected. Think Myrtle Beach except warmer (all year long) and maybe even tackier – seriously! It’s not bad, the level of kitsch on display here, but it is funny – one street there’s a few dozen stores like Hermes, Gucci, Tiffany (swoon) and Fendi, but then the next block there’s everything you could ever want for one dollar. I don’t get it.
Surfer’s is definitely not on my to-redo list, for future travels, but I’ve been here, done this, so next time around I won’t feel guilty when I plan my travels around it.
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